News and Opinion

Each year, communities from around the world turn off their lights at 8:30 PM (local time) for one hour to bring awareness to global warming and climate change. I’ll be turning my lights off tonight, will you? Earth Hour: Saving our planet one hour at a time.

Race Veteran Brent Sass from Eureka, Alaska, was disqualified from Iditarod XLIII earlier this evening in Tanana by Race Marshal Mark Nordman for a violation of rule 35; specifically for carrying a two-way communication device. Rule 35 reads as follows: Electronic Devices: No two-way communication device, including cell phones, shall be carried or used unless provided by ITC. Use of any electronic communication or tracking device shall not be permitted unless provided by the ITC. While a musher may carry a one-way emergency device such as an emergency locator transmitter (ELT), a Spot™, or other similar satellite tracking device, activation of any help or emergency signal, including accidental activation, will make a musher ineligible to continue and will result in an automatic withdrawal from the race. Night vision goggles are not allowed. Use of GPS is permitted.

Each year, I look forward to tracking the teams competing in the Iditarod sled race up in Alaska. This year is no different.

The ceremonial start is just a few hours away. It’ll kick off at 1:00 p.m. CT in Anchorage. Mushers and their teams will run 11 miles from Anchorage to the Campbell Airstrip.

The official start of the 979 mile race is on Monday in Fairbanks. The first checkpoint is in Nenana, a 60 mile run. The start location was changed to Fairbanks from Willow due to warm temperatures and lack of snow. Today the concern may be fresh snow on the new route.

Hopefully the trail conditions are better this year. In some areas last year, the trails were lacking sufficient snow, resulting in beaten up teams and broken equipment. Some of the mushers called it quits.

One guy who didn’t call it quits was Dallas Seavey. No, he’s not only known for appearing in National Geographic’s “Ultimate Survival Alaska”, he’s also two-time Iditarod Champion.

In 2012, at 25 years old, Dallas Seavey became the youngest Iditarod Champion. In 2014, Dallas won his second Iditarod title with a winning time of 8 days, 13 hours, 29 minutes – a new Iditarod record.

Besides adding to his own impressive record, Dallas has a legacy to live up to. His father and grandfather are both mushers. His father, Mitch, is also a two-time Iditarod Champion, winning in 2004 and 2013.

Is Dallas my favorite this year? I’ve not decided yet. I’ll save that for Monday.